Penngrove to Westminster, a champion dog’s journey

Jasper was running late for the big show, and his fifth flight to New York was just canceled due to bad weather. Fortunately, Jasper makes friends easily, and an entourage of supporters made sure he was well-fed while riding out the delay at San Francisco International Airport.

Finally, the Alaska Airlines flight took off, giving Jasper just enough time to make it to New York, tour Central Park and get to the show - the Westminster Dog show.

Jasper is a 4-year-old border terrier, and his owner, Penngrove native Connie Bartlett, was a bit stressed out at the harried travel logistics. But a calming carriage ride through Central Park got owner and terrier ready for the big stage, and Jasper ended up winning best in breed at the storied dog show.

“The thing about the show is, the judges are the cream of the crop, the dogs are phenomenal. You’re up against the best there is,” said Bartlett, who grew up in Penngrove and now lives in Rohnert Park. “The best part of the trip was all the people we met along the way who became friends and sent us texts cheering him on.”

It wasn’t Bartlett’s first time at the big dance. She has been raising prize winning terriers for 30 years with her husband, Bill Bartlett, who works for Pape Machinery in Rohnert Park. Jasper’s father, Benny, also won best of breed at Westminster, and last month’s event was her fourth time at the world famous dog show.

“We’ve had many champions,” said Bartlett, 54. “The dogs live in our house. They’re our kids, basically.”

A retired postal worker, Bartlett works as a canine behaviorist for a veterinarian and also has her own dog training business, Performance Paws, which she says is her passion.

She is also into music (Benny’s full name is Benny and the Jets; Jasper’s registered as Round About Midnight.)

Growing up on a Penngrove ranch, Bartlett became interested in animals at an early age. As a teenager, she showed dogs and thoroughbred horses.

She married Bill, her childhood sweetheart, in 1991, and the two launched Surefyre Border Terriers.

Just making it to the Westminster Dog Show, which highlights the best dogs in the world, is an honor, Bartlett said. But when the weather nearly stymied her plans last month, she said she was undaunted.

“I knew Jasper needed to be there,” she said.

Show dogs like Jasper can ride in the cabin, for $125. Jasper has a special carrying case that fits under the airplane seat.

Once they arrived in New York and made it to the hotel, there was only time for a quick nap before heading to Madison Square Garden to scope out the venue. Bartlett said she was too exhausted from the travel to show Jasper in the competition, so she got a friend to act as handler.

“Jasper handled it phenomenally,” she said. “I’m really proud of him.”

While Jasper won best in breed, he did not take the group prize. That went to a fox terrier that went on to win Best in Show, the top prize at Westminster.

“The moment itself is what every dog owner wants to achieve,” Bartlett said. “It’s such a proud and honorable achievement just to be there.”

(Contact Matt Brown at matt.brown@arguscourier.com.)